"Fake cases made, people being threatened, BJP misusing ED": Chhattisgarh CM Baghel

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], May 11 : Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday claimed that as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cannot survive in Chhattisgarh and alleged the party is misusing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to defame the ruling Congress party.

"Fake cases are being made, people are being threatened, and now they are trying to link my name to the scam. Their main agenda is to defame the ruling party because BJP cannot survive in Chhattisgarh. That's why BJP is misusing the ED", CM Baghel said.

Earlier today, reacting to the ongoing ED actions, CM Baghel said, "ED did not carry out the investigation without any predicate offence, but for the first time in the history of India, the agency here is doing it."

"They (ED) are working as agents of BJP to please their masters and therefore, they are not following the rules and procedures," alleged CM Baghel.

"Now, what is the predicate offence in the (alleged) liquor scam of Rs 2,000 crores and without knowing how they are investigating it," questioned Baghel.

He further alleged that they are physically assaulting people and also troubling them the entire night.

He said, "The agency's prime objective is to defame the state government because BJP is unable to fight us directly. The people of the entire state know that there is an election in November and Congress will come to power again, therefore they (BJP) are engaged in how to defame the government."

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Tuesday said that it has attached properties worth Rs 51.40 crore in Chattisgarh's coal levy extortion scam.

"The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached 90 immovable properties, luxurious vehicles, jewellery and cash worth Rs 51.40 crore belonging to IAS officer Ranu Sahu, Suryakant Tiwari, MLA Devender Yadav, MLA Chandradev Prasad Rai, RP Singh, Vinod Tiwari and Ram Gopal Agarwal in the illegal Coal levy extortion scam in the State of Chhattisgarh," an official statement said.

ED further mentioned that after an investigation direct evidence was established of the aforementioned persons with Suryakant Tiwari whom ED considers the main suspect in this case.

Earlier, ED had attached properties worth Rs 170 Crore belonging to Suryakant Tiwari, IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, Saumya Chaurasia (Chhattisgarh Civil Service Officer), Sunil Agarwal and others. The total attachment, in this case, has reached Rs 221.5 Crore approximately, the official statement mentioned.

ED had initiated a money laundering investigation based on the FIR lodged on the complaint of the Income Tax Department. Searches at more than 145 premises have been conducted, and 9 accused persons have been arrested under PMLA.

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